The Unchained Melody
by Silver Sehkmet
Summary: Otto Octavius finds that a life without love is no life at all...


He heard humming. Not just arbitrary notes, but a song. He listened closer. The melody was familiar. The low, throaty notes drifted to him as if through a fog, and he realized he had his eyes shut, listening to the tune. What was that song? The humming shifted to soft, murmured words.

"_My love, my darling,_

_I've hungered for your touch…alone, lonely time…_

_And time goes by, so slowly…"_

Otto opened his eyes. "I know that tune," he said, turning around. Behind him in the kitchen, standing at the sink with a towel in her hand, Rosie smiled at him. Her eyes shone brightly as if made of crystal. "Of course you do," she said, folding the towel neatly and setting it on the countertop. He set down the plate he had been holding, not sure why he had it in his hands to begin with. He walked closer to her, wrapping his arms around her with the sudden need to feel her close to him.

"It's from that silly movie you always watch. 'Ghost' or something, right?" he said, knowing very well what the movie was called, resting his chin on the top of her head. She leaned back and looked him in the eye, the smile still spread across her lips. "It's not silly. Its romantic, you big oaf." He had to smile back at her as he kissed her softly.

"Of course it is," he said, letting her go again as she walked to the table set across the length of the kitchen, pulling the long brown shawl around her shoulders closer to her. He followed, and they both sat down across from each other at the table. "I know you well enough now, Otto, to know when you're being sarcastic," she said, lifting an eyebrow at him as she reached for the teacup set at her place. Otto dropped a spoonful of sugar into the cup of tea before him, lowering his gaze to the cup. "Well really now. Romantic? It's more macabre than romantic, my dear," he joked, stirring the cup slowly as he looked at her. The smile faded from his face as he suddenly felt as if he were looking at her for the first time in a long while.

When was the last time he had just _looked_ at her? So busy with his experiments lately, so busy working on the calculations for the reactor. Feeling guilty, he reached across the table and laid his hand atop hers.

"I've been ignoring you lately," he said in a quiet voice, looking into her eyes. She set the cup down in the saucer and covered his hand with hers, still holding him with that gentle smile.

"You've been working."

"I've been working too hard, then."

"Your work is very important to you, Otto. I know that. And I'm there to help you, to support you."

"I didn't marry you so you could be my assistant. I married you so you could be my wife, so we could live out the rest of our days together."

Rosie's gaze dropped suddenly, looking down into her cup, the smile fading.

"Otto," she began, pushing her cup out of the way. Otto put both his hands around hers, gripping them. A sudden rush of words began tumbling from his lips as he felt a chilling fear settle over him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rosie. I've been…I've been so caught up in my work. I haven't taken time to be with you as a husband. Not just a colleague. You deserve more than that, love," he said, surprised at how fast the words fell from his lips, unsure of where this guilt was coming from. He felt chilled, as if he had just found out some horrible news. What he was saying, it was all true. He owed a lot to her. She was always there, always helping him wherever she could. And had he thanked her for it? Had he shown how grateful he was for her unending support?

Rosie leaned forward, her mouth open as if to say something. Otto's guilt washed over him completely now and he got up from his chair, rounding the table and coming to her side, pulling her up from the chair and embracing her as if he hadn't just held her a moment ago. She wrapped her arms around him as well, gripping him tightly.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, for my work. Rosie, I am…I am nothing without you," he murmured softly, feeling her arms wrapped around him, her head pressed against his neck and shoulder. He held her like that for a long while, smelling the soft flowery scent of her hair, feeling the smooth cloth of her shawl beneath his fingers. But he couldn't shake that cold fear that had filled him completely, and now he felt his chest was damp. Pulling back a bit, he saw Rosie was crying, her face wet with tears.

"Oh God, Rosie, I'm sorry," he began, knowing he was right, he had shut her out, he had caused her pain…Rosie reached for his hands and gripped them tightly in her own hands, which were cold now too.

"Otto, listen to me. I want you to know I still love you. I will always be here, loving you. Do you understand that?" she said, her voice shaking as tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Otto felt his breath catch in his chest; it was getting harder to breathe. He had never wished this. He had not wanted to hurt her, but he had been ignorant. And now look, look what he had done to her. God, he was cold. His hands were shaking now.

"Please, don't cry," he started again, wiping her face with his trembling fingers, "I never want you to cry." Rosie stepped back, loosening her grip on his hands.

"I'm so sorry I can't be with you, Otto," she said, finally releasing his hands. "I'm sorry I can't be there with you when you start again. I'll be waiting for you though. I'll be ready for you when you come back. But not yet. Not yet." She clasped her hands to her chest and looked at him with glistening eyes, the soft smile returning to her face as she wiped her eyes. Otto's whole body was shaking now, he clasped his arms across his chest and tried to speak, tried to understand. Rosie was leaving? She was leaving him? Start again? What… what…was she talking about?

"Rosie, please…please, God, don't leave me, I need you," he said, breaking down now like he had never done before, feeling his face become wet with salty tears. Salt, he tasted salt now, and he couldn't stop shaking. Cold. And heavy. He felt heavy. "Don't leave me," he faltered, reaching for her, but it was getting darker. He couldn't see her as well anymore.

"I'm sorry, Otto, it's just not time. It's just not time for this yet. Be strong, my love. Be strong and know I'll see you again."

"Rosie?" he tried again, trying desperately to take another breath. She touched her fingers to her lips and kissed them, blowing it back at him as she faded into darkness.

"I love you," she said, her voice fading.

Darkness and cold. That was all that was left. Otto was alone in the dark, in the cold. And suddenly, he was struck with such extreme pain he cringed, feeling himself double over, unable to find even his hands, unaware of where his body was in space, oblivious to everything except the horrible pain that was ripping through him right now.

He tried to scream, reaching out for anything, and then an explosion of white light cleared his vision as he was rolled to his side and black, briny salt water poured from his mouth. He coughed, and coughed, and coughed until he felt his lungs burning again. Each gasp of breath brought him closer to consciousness. He lay half on his side, half on his stomach. He felt his body now. Violent shivering claimed all of his limbs and he succumbed to it, concentrating on taking long, even breaths. Slowly he tried to sit up, wiping sand from his face in confusion.

A glinting light to his right caught his attention, and he turned his head. The red light to his side shifted, and claws around the weak red light opened wider. Otto looked past the tentacle, a wounded moan escaping him as he took in his surroundings. The waters of the Hudson River rushed up onto the sandy shore, and he saw a few broken remains of the now destroyed pier just beyond the beach. Otto pressed his hands against his face after looking at the long dredge marks in the sand, each tentacle curling around him in a clumsy attempt to comfort him as his mind put the pieces together.

Sadness, pain, regret. These emotions they recognized. They had shielded him from them before, a long time ago, they would help him forget them again. To make him better. To make him happy again. Happiness, they understood, in the most basic sense. Happiness, they knew, was right.

Otto shuddered in their grip, suddenly breaking out into long howls of pain, mingling with the soft sounds of the water lapping the shore in gruesome harmony.

"I am nothing without you! Rosie! _Rosie_!" he sobbed into his gloved hands, the battered metal arms surrounding him quietly clicking in confusion. They'd never heard this before and couldn't comprehend what it was. This strange … melody of notes playing endlessly in their minds…

"_And time goes by, so slowly, _

_And time can do so much,_

_Are you still mine? _

_I need your love, _

_I need your love…_

_Godspeed your love to me…"_


End file.
